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Jerritt Clark/Contributor via Getty Images, Arturo Holmes/Contributor via Getty Images, and Dan Mullan/Contributor via Getty Images
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Vic Mensa, Dave Chappelle, and JAY-Z
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Key Takeaways:
- JAY-Z’s advice helped Vic Mensa shift from being “ideologically right” to seeking peace.
- Dave Chappelle challenged Mensa to weigh truth against self-preservation.
- Mensa opened up about the dangers he faced during past conflicts and how they shaped his growth.
In an Instagram video shared on Tuesday (Aug. 19), Vic Mensa opened up about the impact of the advice he received from JAY-Z and Dave Chappelle. The Chicago artist shared how their words helped him rethink the way he approaches conflict and personal peace. Seated in a plush red chair, he spoke to an audience off-camera that occasionally laughed in response to his candid storytelling.
Mensa recalled an earlier period in his career when he often found himself embroiled in beef. He admitted that while he felt “ideologically righteous” in his positions, the constant antagonism was damaging his life. “Everybody hated me,” he said, reflecting on how his outspoken nature led to isolation. That segued into a recollection of an exchange with JAY-Z, to whom he explained his stance. According to the XXL Freshman alum, Hov offered a simple but powerful response: “Would you rather be right or in the loving?”
Mensa said that remark struck him deeply and made him reconsider how his approach affected not just others but himself. “I started to think a lot more about my delivery, to be less antagonistic and less against people,” he explained.
The “U Mad” emcee then recalled a later conversation with Chappelle, who had seen the now-infamous heated debate between artist and DJ Akademiks in 2017. “Man, you cooked this n**ga for all of us,” Mensa recalled the comedian saying. When he recounted the JAY-Z story to Chappelle, the legendary comic pushed back gently, adding, “But sometimes you’ll be right, though.” That perspective, Mensa admitted, left him reflecting on the balance between speaking truth and maintaining peace.
He also spoke openly about the personal toll of his past conflicts. “I done had real money on my head, n**gas trying to kill me. Now I’m running around with a pistol all the time,” Mensa revealed, continuing, “I thought I was right almost every time, but like once it all came down to it, it was never worth it.”
